Side A: Fout Hall was one of three original buildings on the Bonebrake Theological Seminary campus. Constructed 1920-1923, it was named for Dr. J. E. Fout, who managed campus construction. Bonebrake Seminary was founded in 1871 by Dayton’s United Brethren in Christ Church and became co-educational in 1873. Generous cash and land gifts (1909-1911) enabled the construction of a new campus. Fout Hall, the administration building, and a powerhouse were designed by Dayton architect Frederick J. Hughes in the Jacobethan Revival style. The three-story buff-brick dormitory was the largest of the buildings and cost $250,000. As well as dining hall, laundry, and storage facilities, it featured 12 single rooms, 54 two-room suites, and 6 three-room suites. Fout Hall was an integral part of the National Register listing of the Dayton View Triangle Historic District in 2022.
Side B: Bonebrake Theological Seminary campus was planned by the renowned landscape architecture firm Olmsted Brothers. Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and John Charles Olmsted, the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, worked with entrepreneur John H. Patterson on numerous Dayton projects. In 1919, Patterson paid their firm to design Bonebrake campus. The resulting design faced buildings around a looping circular driveway and park. Three original buildings were completed by 1923; later mid-century additions included a second dormitory (1957) and chapel (1960). Renamed United Theological Seminary after a 1954 merger with Evangelical Theological Seminary, the school relocated to nearby Trotwood in 2005. Omega Baptist Church purchased the campus to better serve the spiritual, health, and educational needs of the surrounding community. Although the campus was replatted in 2019 and Fout Hall demolished in 2024, much of the Olmsted design remains.
Sponsors: Omega Baptist Church, Montgomery County Land Reutilization Corporation, Ohio History Connection
